Our awareness of eco-building is growing, although the segment is still a relatively marginal slice of the overall market. This may change in the future, however, and already some customers say they would be able to pay more for a property maintained in the “eco” trend.The topic of sustainable construction has been an important faction of public discourse for years. It is a direction through which we are able to significantly reduce carbon emissions and consumption of natural resources, as well as contribute to the well-being and health of people. Eco-building will soon be essentially mandatory, as the European Union aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, and to achieve this goal it is necessary to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions generated precisely by the construction sector. The question is how we ourselves view these changes and how our wallets view them.
According to a survey conducted by UCE RESEARCH and Studio4SPACE, we as a society are clearly divided on the issue of possible subsidies for green building solutions.
The results indicate that nearly 35 percent of the developers’ customers would be willing to pay more to purchase a property made of green materials, including recycled materials. On the other side, that is, those unwilling to overpay for such construction solutions, on the other hand, are 34 percent of respondents. Among them, 14 percent express their opinion strongly, while 20 percent are not entirely convinced.
“Green apartments are no more expensive in the long run than those without. However, their purchase is usually associated with a higher initial cost, for which not everyone is willing or able to allocate funds. It should be remembered, however, that after time these costs are more than recouped and there is a saving on various charges, such as electricity, central heating or water heating. Many customers are aware of these dependencies, which makes the overall popularity of eco real estate grow every year.” – says Bartlomiej Kisielewski, Partner at Horizone Studio.”
The eco-building trend is strengthening. Environmental awareness and the desire to save money are making customers increasingly aware of the advantages of using green solutions. Developers, in order to meet their expectations, are therefore directly motivated to effectively adapt their operations to the new standards.
Sustainable construction is thus becoming a business card for companies, attracting customers and creating a reputation as a responsible investor. It is significant that the creation of such buildings is not only a matter of supporting the environment, but also the users in their daily lives – these two aspects go hand in hand. Contrary to appearances, it is not at all complicated to introduce such solutions into a multifamily development.
“Buildings can be improved in terms of ergonomics of use with really simple decisions. An example would be recuperation, or simple heat recovery on ventilation. If a block has mechanical ventilation, heat recovery is used before this air is thrown outside. Stable internal temperature and no drafts make residents feel more comfortable at home. Interesting modern solutions also include, for example, photovoltaic panels combined with a heat storage tank common to the entire building. Such a solution does not necessarily even have to provide 100 percent of annual energy needs – instead, it can complement traditional solutions. Another thing encountered in new investments is the use of green roofs – for the top floors the additional floor is a heat buffer and protects the building from overheating, as a natural sun barrier. By the way, we also ‘get’ retention, because such a roof collects some of the rainwater from precipitation,” says Bartlomiej Kisielewski, Partner at Horizone Studio.
In order for eco-building to actually gain traction in the long term, it is necessary to build developments that are simply good to live in. Thus, it is worth focusing not only on environmental aspects, but also on the comfort and functionality of housing.
Projects should therefore include modern technological solutions that improve energy efficiency, as well as bet on green spaces and access to nature. In this way, not only the environment will benefit, but also customers, who will consequently be willing to pay more for such solutions.
